Bernard Taylor is the co-chair of the firm's Products Liability Group, and a former chair of the firm’s Management Committee. He concentrates his practice on complex disputes including commercial litigation, products liability, chemical exposure, pharmaceutical and toxic tort lawsuits. Mr. Taylor is also a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Mr. Taylor has led litigation teams in major, complex litigation across the U.S. He was the lead trial lawyer representing Flexible Products Company in the chemical exposure litigation involving 1,600 plaintiffs, in Alabama State Court, 20,000 plaintiffs in Federal Court in Alabama, and a putative class action pending in West Virginia. He was also the lead trial lawyer representing Louisiana Pacific Corporation in mass tort chemical litigation involving over 1400 plaintiffs filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama – Northern Division.
Mr. Taylor was co-lead trial counsel representing Union Carbide in the 2002 West Virginia mass tort products liability asbestos trial involving over 2,000 plaintiffs. He also served as a member of the national trial teams for Allegiance Healthcare Corporation and Baxter Healthcare Corporation in the defense of mass tort litigation involving the use of natural rubber latex gloves. Mr. Taylor was also co-leader of Alston & Bird’s National Coordinating Counsel Team for Charter Medical Corporation. In that capacity, Mr. Taylor coordinated the defense of litigation pending in over 30 states.
Bernard Taylor is the co-chair of the firm's Products Liability Group, and a former chair of the firm’s Management Committee. He concentrates his practice on complex disputes including commercial litigation, products liability, chemical exposure, pharmaceutical and toxic tort lawsuits. Mr. Taylor is also a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Mr. Taylor has led litigation teams in major, complex litigation across the U.S. He was the lead trial lawyer representing Flexible Products Company in the chemical exposure litigation involving 1,600 plaintiffs, in Alabama State Court, 20,000 plaintiffs in Federal Court in Alabama, and a putative class action pending in West Virginia. He was also the lead trial lawyer representing Louisiana Pacific Corporation in mass tort chemical litigation involving over 1400 plaintiffs filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama – Northern Division.
Mr. Taylor was co-lead trial counsel representing Union Carbide in the 2002 West Virginia mass tort products liability asbestos trial involving over 2,000 plaintiffs. He also served as a member of the national trial teams for Allegiance Healthcare Corporation and Baxter Healthcare Corporation in the defense of mass tort litigation involving the use of natural rubber latex gloves. Mr. Taylor was also co-leader of Alston & Bird’s National Coordinating Counsel Team for Charter Medical Corporation. In that capacity, Mr. Taylor coordinated the defense of litigation pending in over 30 states.
In addition to over 29 years of trial experience, Mr. Taylor is a valued advisor to various clients in developing successful prelitigation strategies. He is a regular participant in programs relating to commercial litigation, mass tort, products liability and trial practice techniques.
Mr. Taylor received his J.D. degree in 1982 from Vanderbilt University School of Law, where he was the recipient of the Bennett Douglas-Bell Memorial Prize in Legal Ethics. He received his B.A. from Wayne State University. From 1970 to 1979, Mr. Taylor was a police officer for the Detroit Police Department.
Mr. Taylor is a member of the American Bar Association, the Georgia Bar Association, the Gate City Bar Association, the Atlanta Bar Association, the Board of Trustees of Agnes Scott College, the Southeast Regional Board of the U.S. Fund for Unicef, the Board of Trustees for the Atlanta Police Foundation and the DeKalb County, Georgia Chapter of 100 Black Men of America. From 1994 to 1997 he served on The Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution, having been appointed by the Justices of the Supreme Court of Georgia. He is listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers magazine.